A Single Ember
by ImmortalMerc
Summary: A Village gets destroyed by an unknown source. A lone survivor asks Kohona for help, but what will they think of this conflicting information. This story was up here before as "Ultimate Battle" but I did some major tweeking.


**Chapter 1**

"Rasengan!"Naruto smashed his chakra weilding hand into a couple off trees. The explosion was tremdous. Naruto looked at the smoldered logs in front of him. "Wow, I can't believe I've improved so much in three years!"

Kakashi was stunned, Naruto had really improved over the last few weeks. "He's becoming more like you everyday Yondaime."

It's been a couple months since Naruto's encounter with Sasuke and he was determined to get stronger. Naruto formed a few hand seals, "Shadow Clone no Jutsu!"

Around twenty Narutos appeared from puffs of smoke. They all charged at him with kunai, shuriken, rasengans or just plain fist. It was an all out scrabble between the Narutos. There were a few puff of smoke and the number of clones became less. Naruto is now able to strengthen his clones' durability by feeding them more chakra. Kakashi was amazed because he never thought of that. Nor had any other ninja in the Leaf Village. Naruto had also mentioned something about a new jutsu called the _'Shadow Clone Commando no Jutsu'_ but he didn't tell him what it did. A red light started glowing beneth the pile of blondes, and then the pile exploded. Kakashi dodged a wildly, flailing clone that almost clocked him in the face. The original Naruto walked out of a newly formed crater with a red chakra aura around him. Kakashi started forming hand seals, 'Shit! Is he transforming again?"

He was surprised to see the red aura go back in side Naruto's body without him doing anything. Naruto grimanced, "It's okay Kakashi, I'm still me."

On the inside he was beating himself on the head. 'Aaargh, why'd the aura activate itself?'

He desperatley wanted to stop using the Fox's chakra because he heard what he did to Sakura. He never wants to hurt someone he cared about again. The problem is that he's used the aura so many times when he was younger he can't stop the habit. "Okay lets try this again." said Naruto.

He was about to form the signs but then there was a poof of smoke, and an ANBU stepped out of it.

"Lady Tsunade wishes to see you and Naruto at once."

Naruto pouted, "Is it really that important that she interrupts my training?" He pouted more, "She probably just wants me to get her more sake or some-"

Kakashi covered Naruto's mouth with both hands. "Heh, sorry about that we'll be there as soon as possible."

The ANBU nodded and left in a puff of smoke. Kakashi let go of Naruto's mouth, "Are you trying to kill us both?"

Naruto was still upset, "I wanna continue my training, why can't she get Lee or someone?"

Kakashi put his hand over his face in dismay, "I don't know but I want to have kids in the near future, so we're going."

Naruto started to have visions of what Tsunade would do to them if they didn't go. He shuddered at the thoughts, "O-okay lets go!"

With that they also left the training field in puffs of smoke.

xxxx

Tsunade was still trying to understand the situation. "Your sure of this?"

The person across from her, nodded. The person she was talking to was wearing a hood but she knew who he was. She couldn't believe the situation and just as she was about to think deeper into this she heard a familiar voice. "Hey! Old Lady what do you want?"

Her vain pulsed at the nickname, Naruto gave her. "Naruto, Kakashi it's about time you got here."

The two ninjas jumped in through the open window by her desk.

Naruto looked at the person next to Tsunade. "What's the hooded guy here for?"

"He will be guiding you to what's left of the Village of Embers."

That caught Kakashi off guard, "What do you mean what's left of it?"

The man in the hood spoke up this time, "My village was destroyed by two people from an unknown village."

Naruto crossed his arms, "Two people destroyed a whole village, kinda hard to believe."

"It was for me too but I saw it with my own eyes."

Kakashi spoke up this time, "Who are you anyways?"

The hooded man removed his hood, and everyone got to see his face. His hair is black with red streaks in it and his eyes were amber-brown. Kakashi saw something behind those eyes that made him raise an eyebrow. He was around six foot and his cloths looked like a jonin's but it was black with a silver trim. The back of his jacket was a red and gold fire ball. Also he smelled strangely of soot. "I am Shibutoi Kazagan of the Village of Embers."

Naruto spoke up, "Hey how strong are you?"

Tsunade nearly fell over, "Naruto what are you doing?" She slammed her fist on her desk and it broke sending flurries of papers everywhere. "His village has just been anhilated and all you can ask is how strong he is?"

'If his village is really destroyed at all.' thought Kakashi. 'I find it kind of hard to believe that an entire village especially like Embers to be destroyed.'

Naruto didn't seemed phased by the anger in her voice. "I just want to make sure Kakashi and I aren't doing all the work."

"You shouldn't have to worry about that because this is just a reconissance misson." replied Tsunade.

The ninja named Shibutoi snorted, "Yeah but if we're going to point fingers I'd be doing all the work."

"Hey you wanna start something fire boy?"

"Well maybe I do, you wouldn't be worth the effort though."

Naruto fumed, "Well then lets find out which one of us ist stronger at the Leaf Village's training field!"

Suddenly there was snickering in the room. Everyone looked at Shibutoi and saw a gleam in his already flashing eyes. 'Oh boy.' Kakashi thought. He and Tsunade knew one important trait about his clan despite their fire skills that rivaled the Uchiha's. They absolutely loved to fight, even if they knew they would die. They weren't fanatics about it like the bone-wielder Lee fought's clan. In fact they tried to avoid it, but boy when they knew there was no avoiding it they were experts. That's why it seemed hard to believe that they were wiped out by only two people. Shibutoi stepped up to Naruto, "Fine I will show you how strong I am."

It was more like a whisper, and that made this challenge more tense. Naruto was excited though it's been awhile since he actually fought anyone but his clones. 'If this guy is as strong as he says, I could be one step closer to getting Sasuke!' thought Naruto.

Shibutoi snorted, "As if I really need to prove myself." He cracked his knuckles, "I'm probably stronger than anyone in this ..." he paused an flared his nostrals like a snob would, "Village."

Tsunade's vein in her temple started to pulse, 'Arrogant bastard.'

Naruto was clenching his fist in anger and excitement. "We'll see about that, you arrogant PUNK!"

Kakashi had his hand over his mask, 'Why do we always get the arrogant ones for missions?'

'They always get Naruto all riled up.' thought Kakashi as he watched the two argue.

Shibutoi chuckled loudly and had a huge, arrogant grin plastered on his face. "Fine we'll fight at your traing grounds, see ya there." With that he vanished in a puff of soot. Tsunade coughed, "Well at least we know what the smell came from."

Naruto had stars in his eyes, "Finally I can challenge someone else to a fight and I'll win believe it." With that he jumped out the window to the training fields. Suddenly Kakashi appeared by Naruto. "Be careful he's stronger than he looks and don't use the kyuubi's chakra we need him alive okay."

"I know I know." said Naruto nonchalantly.

The two jumped out of the window leaving Tsunade in her room by herself. She was wondering why this assignment gave her such a chill. 'Well I know that kid is arrogant but something about him told me he wasn't lying.'

She started preparing for her 'favorite' assignment for the day....paper work! 'But he wasn't telling the truth either.' She started to write, 'And that's what scares me.'

She paused, "Why am I not hearing the scratch of a pen?"

She looked down and saw her desk. It was in two pieces and the papers were everywhere. Her sweat dropped, 'I really need to control my anger.'

Naruto landed in the training field with a puff of dirt around him. He look at the three medium sized post and remembered the test Kakashi gave him and the rest of the original Team Seven. They had to take the bells from Kakashi's waist. It was him, Sakura and...Sasuke. That name made his eyes water up but only for a second. 'I will get you Sasuke.' Naruto clenched his fist. 'Even if I have to break every bone in you body to do it.'

When Naruto and Kakashi went to the southern part of the field they saw Shibutoi standing there waiting for them. "Bout time you got here, I was beginning to think you were backing out."

"Naruto Uzumaki never goes back on his word!"

Shibutoi got in a battle stance, "Okay then."

Right when he said that he vanished and Naruto looked around in confusion. Shibutoi just totally vanished from the field, or that's what he wanted him to think. His mind's 'alarm' went off in his head. "Of course, it's a genjutsu...Release!"

The scenery didn't change expect for the rather large fire ball headed straight towards him! Naruto yelped and jumped out of the way. Then Shibutoi appeared above him. "Too slow."

The next thing he knew he was flying towards the ground. "Man your pretty clever to put a genjutsu up before I got here."

Shibutoi merely chuckled.

"A wise ninja always comes prepared even in training, you should know that."

Naruto growled, 'Welp, now you've doomed yourself.'

Unknown to the two teens, Kakashi was watching them fight with his Sharingan eye.

Naruto formed his trademark hand seal. "Shadow Clone no Jutsu!" Around one hundred clones appeared around him. That caught Shibutoi of guard. He quickly formed three hand seals. "Fire Style: Giant Fire Ball no Jutsu!"

A giant fire ball exploded from his mouth and flew towards the Narutos. The clones scattered in an attempt to evade the flaming sphere, most suceeded but there were a few unlucky ones who were literaly fried when it hit them. 'I'm not even trying yet.' thought Shibutoi.

Shibutoi didn't have time to think anything else because the rest of the Narutos were forming Rasengans in their hands. 'Okay even I can tell that those spheres mean trouble.'

Shibutoi focused his chakra to his chest, 'Perhaps the blonde is stronger than I thought, well this'll be fun then.'

He felt a fire rising in his chest and when he released the fire, he burst into flames. Naruto's mouth was gaping open. "What is that?...he...just burst into flames?" Kakashi wasn't stunned thought because he knew that technique. All Naruto's questions about his condition were answered when the fireball formally know as Shibutoi started laughing. "You should have seen the looks on your faces it was hilarious!"

"And this is coming from a living candle."

The fire died down a little bit so he could show them his 'change'. "Notice anything different?" Naruto shurgged.

A couple seconds later Naruto fiqured it out. "Hey your eyes are 'flamey'...that's a blood limit isn't it?"

He smirked, "I didn't think you'd fiqure it out so quickly, yes I can manipulate fire." He looked at his hand and frowned a little bit. "Like the Uchihas, my clan is a master of fire, but unlike them we can manipulate it in different ways."

As if to prove his point he morphed the fire around his hand into a blade of fire. "Amazing." replied Naruto. "Also our eyes can immediately detect fire, which is why we had a good fire squad."

Naruto thought of something, "Can you also detect movements like the Sharingan?"

"No we can't, there is no such thing as a perfect bloodline."

"Wow that's so cool!"yelled Naruto.

He almost had a full grin on his face, 'It's been awhile since I've been complemented like that'. He was so occupied in his thoughts he didn't notice one of the clones sneaking up behind him.

By the time he noticed, he got a Rasengan to the side. His body went spiraling into the ground. If it wasn't for his Sharingan, Kakashi would have thought that he was dead. Maybe a little shaken but he was very much alive. "Ow that hurts like a bitch!" To Naruto's surprise the fire was still around him.

"Now's our chance, get him!"yelled one of the clones. They all started throwing kunai at him.

Those kunai seemed to block out the sun. Shibutoi made a few quick hand seals, "Fire Style: Wild Fire Shield no Jutsu!"

All the kunai made their marks, but none penetrated the fire. In fact, they were spinning in place! Shibutoi smirked, "Time to end this, Release!"

The kunai turned red hot and flew back towards the Naruto dopplegangers faster than when they were originally thrown. The Narutos weren't expecting this and they were slain by their own attack. The real Naruto watched from the very back how his clones were obliterated. 'Whoa...he's that strong, I beat a S-rank ninja but I can't beat him?!'

He balled his hand into a fist, 'Looks like I'm not ready for Sasuke yet.' He winced at the thought. Then he got an idea, 'Time to put my recent training in action.'

He formed a Rasengan in one had and wind energy in another. Kakashi stared in awe, "He couldn't possibly be trying the Rasenshuriken again so soon!"

He smashed the two together, "Alright lets see if you can handle this, Rasenshuriken 25%!"

'25%?....huh I didn't even know you could do that Naruto.' thought Kakashi.

Shibutoi formed ten hand seals, "Fire Style: Dragon's Fist no Jutsu!!" His right fist morphed into a claw of blue fire. Kakashi eyes widened slighty, "There it is, the most famous nin-jutsu of the Kazagan clan."

They both charged at eachother and breakneck speed and stuck their hands out.

When they clashed it all seemed to go in slow motion. There was an explosion of blue and white and in the center of it were the two shinobi. Naruto griminced, his arms were starting to hurt because of the shockwave and the heat of the blue fire. He had to use both hand for the technique to even it out. With both hands they're was less strain on his left hand. Shibutoi was astonished, 'There's no way that we should be this evenly matched!'

The Dragon's Fist technique has been passed down from generation to generation for many years. Even before the Ninja Wars, so it's been refined countless times. Seconds passed like hours and no one was gaining any ground. Kakashi was astonished, the ground was shaking and rocks were rising in the air. "If they keep this up there won't be a training field left." He formed some hand seals.

Back in the struggle they both thought they could go on forever until...

"Chakra Sealing no Jutsu."

Like a lake being drained, both fighters felt there chakra slipping away. Eventually both their techniques vanished into thin air. Naruto was the first to react. "Kakashi why'd you do that I was about to win!"

Shibutoi snorted, "What do you mean you were about to win, I was only using a little percent of my Dragon's Fist."

"That means we're evenly matched then."

"No because I was holding back more!"

Kakashi decided it was time to intervene. "It's a draw, I sealed your chakra so you didn't kill eachother and don't worry your chakra will come back in an hour."

Naruto pouted, "But why'd you...oh yeah I forgot about the mission."

He stuck his hand out to Shibutoi, "When this is all over we'll finish this okay?"

Shibutoi thought about it, 'Eh, I got nothin' else to do.' He shook his hand and this would be the beginning of a big rivalry.

* * *

Sorry it took me soo long to put this back on but I've spent alot of time refurbishing this. Oh yea you might have noticed Shibutoi went through a little personality change.

PLZ PLZ Review so I know what I could do to improve.


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